Bob Riel

Bob Riel writes about history, politics, and travel. He is the author of "Quest for the Presidency: The Storied and Surprising History of Presidential Campaigns in America." He also writes "The Riel World" newsletter on Substack. Bob earned a master’s degree in political science from Boston College, with a focus on the history of American presidential elections. In "Quest for the Presidency," he weaves together his interest in presidential campaigns with a curiosity about the interconnectedness of events. The book is a popular history of each election from 1789 through 2020 and recounts a wealth of entertaining tales about campaigns and candidates. At the same time, it delves into the threads that link elections across time and it explores American democracy in a way that helps us to better understand present-day politics. He is also an avid traveler who has so far visited 45 countries on six continents. Some of these experiences are chronicled in his earlier travel memoir, "Two Laps Around the World: Tales and Insights from a Life Sabbatical."